CVL Southern Cross-class Light Carrier
'NAME/REGISTRY' CVL-001 UNSCS SOUTHERN CROSS Member of: Third Fleet, 17st CarStrGru (Carrier Strike Group) 'COMMAND CREW' Commanding Officer: Captain Rick Gallagher Executive Officer: Commander Lee Richards Artificial Intelligence: N/A Communications Officer: Lieutenant Alice Ryan Tactical Officer: Lieutenant Sarah Rico Operations Officer: Lieutenant Charlie De Gaulle Navigation Officer: Lieutenant Brian White Engineering: Lieutenant Commander Patrick O’Brien 'CREW COMPLEMENTS' Overloaded Complement: NAVAL: 1000, MARINE: 1000 Standard Complement: NAVAL: 600, MARINE: 500 Skeleton Complement: NAVAL: 100, MARINE: 0, 'ARMAMENT' 20 'Archer' Chemical Missile Tubes 16 Magnetic Linear Accelerator Point Defence Auto Cannons 2 Standard Magnetic Accelerator Cannons Four Hangars (Four Squadrons of Longsword Interceptors Interceptors and 16 Support Craft) 'PARASITE CRAFT' 48 C709 Longsword Multi-role Interceptors 16 Support/Drop Craft (Various Classes) 'SHIP'S ARMORY' Counts of firearms, ammunition, etc. are taken from standard loadouts. 'Firearms' 1200 MA5B Assault Rifles 600 M6C Pistols 500 M7 Sub-machine Guns 400 M90 Shotguns 350 S2 Sniper Rifles 300 M19 Surface-Surface Anti-Vehicle Rocket Launchers 200 MA5C Assault Rifles 'Ammunition' 6000 Clips 7.62mm Ammunition 1800 Clips 12.7mm Ammunition 1500 Clips 5mm Ammunition 1400 Clips 14.5mm Ammunition 9600 Rounds 8 Gauge Ammunition 1000 Clips 5.56mm Ammunition 600 Clips 102mm Rockets 'Armour' 1000 Advanced Combat Armor Suits 400 Advanced Combat Armor Drop Suits 500 ‘Land Warrior’ Armour Plate Kits (phased out/reserve) 'Vehicles' 036 M12 'Warthog' LRVs 012 M808B 'Scorpion' Main Battle Tanks 006 M41 'Dragon' Surface-Air-Missiles (tracked) 006 M39 'Bear' Anti-Aircraft-Artillery (tracked) 'POWERPLANT' Twin Fusion Reactor Assembly 'PROPULSION' Primary: Chemical Engines Reserve: Ion Engines Translight: Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Drive 'DESCRIPTION' The UNSCS Southern Cross is a Carrier, Light class of vessel pulled together from the hulls of several vessels too damaged to continue in active duty. With resources and shipyards at a premium, UNSC Command looked to reuse the many vessels that had been lost in battle since the start of the Human-Covenant War. Many vessels were created in this way, and as time wore on it was rapidly realised that there simply weren’t enough cruisers and carriers to patrol worlds still in dispute. So, the idea of the Light Carrier was born, to create a ship that combined the combat power of a cruiser with the single ship and troop capacity of a carrier; both vessels which were rather rare in the fleet. What was eventually created was a ship that was a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. The CVL Southern Cross-class, colloquially known as a Cruiser-Carrier, while all being slightly unique in their individual appearance, were fairly effective in ship-to-ship combat without being overly powerful, and could hold their own in a carrier fighter duel. However, the Light Carrier would be outclassed if it came up against either a cruiser or a dedicated carrier in a one-on-one situation. Each Light Carrier looks slightly aesthetically different, mainly due to the different sections of vessels they are built with, but all are built around a ''Marathon''-class hull and equipment, with the hangar bays from carriers fused to the flanks and the ventral and dorsal surfaces, creating a more blocky-looking ''Marathon'' in the basic essence. Their electronics, weapons, propulsion, life support and other ship systems are, where possible, recycled from hulks, but some sections have to be manufactured new regardless, in particular the powerplant and other vital systems that can’t be chanced on second hand equipment. Due to the use of second hand equipment, almost all systems have second and even third redundant systems, allowing for multiple failures and heavy battle damage. While this would seem to make the Southern Cross-class prone to breakdowns, they actually have less than some new vessels in the fleet, thanks mainly to the expert shipwright crews who put the vessels together and fine-tuned the second hand equipment; along with the top-notch engineering crews posted to the Light Carriers to them to keep them functioning. All of which makes them rather reliable vessels. That said; the use of some battle-damaged and outdated components has been frowned upon by several in the fleet as it is only a matter of time before something major happens. But with the scarcity of functioning starships, any space-worthy vessel is an addition to the fleet, particularly one that frees up a rarely seen cruiser and carrier to more important missions than merely patrolling worlds on the edge of disputed space. More Southern Cross-class vessels are being created as salvageable hulks are pulled into dock, and most are assigned as the flagships of small strike groups for patrolling the edge of disputed space. The Southern Cross and the 17th CarStrGru (Carrier Strike Group) are currently in orbit around Jakon IV, a UNSC world on the edge of UNSC space, and is right in the hot zone of UCC activity. Category:Starship Class